A Silicon Valley titan is refusing to come to court and testify about blocking public access to a popular surf spot. (Published Thursday, May 1, 2014)

A Silicon Valley titan is refusing to come to court and testify about blocking public access to a popular surf spot.

Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla is being sued by the Surfrider Foundation over the closing of Martin’s Beach, just south of Half Moon Bay.

The legal fight is due to go to court on Monday.

At one point, there used to be a sign welcoming the public to Martin’s Beach. But after Khosla bought the land in 2008, it was painted over and the public was warned to stay out.

On Thursday, when a lot of people were heading to the beach, Martin’s Beach stood empty – nobody was riding the waves at this once popular spot. Now, days before the Surfrider’s lawsuit is scheduled to be heard in San Mateo County Court, Khosla’s attorneys are saying he doesn’t have to appear to testify.

Khosla was in the news last week because of a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco that alleged that a Stanford University graduate was blackmailing his daughter over nude photographs he took of her while they were dating.